New regulatory changes on AFFF course fire extinguishers

Significant regulatory changes are about to come into force which affect the supply of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) fire extinguishers, commonly used for Class A and Class B fires (Class A fires are those involving organic materials such as wood and paper and Class B fires involve flammable or combustible liquids, such as petrol, diesel, paint and solvents, etc). 

This imminent change is part of a wider global effort to phase out PFAs contained in AFFF firefighting appliances.  Known as ‘forever chemicals’ due to their persistence in the environment and the human body, these are known to have long-lasting negative impacts on both human health and the world around us. 

From 4 July this year, the manufacture and sale of foam containing these chemicals will be prohibited, however, if AFFF extinguishers are already in situ in your premises then they are still compliant. When they eventually need to be replaced, a different firefighting agent will be needed. 

If your fire extinguishers are regularly serviced, refilled or replaced, they likely will not contain PFAs as these have been gradually phased out in the lead-up to the forthcoming manufacturing and sales ban. 

An alternative extinguisher that can be used on both Class A and Class B fires is a water mist extinguisher, which can be used on a wide range of fire types. Other alternatives for Class A fires are water, dry powder and wet chemical extinguishers, and for Class B fires dry powder and carbon dioxide (CO2).